Morning soon comes, too soon for some as they wake to the throbbing only a hangover can produce. The following hours are passed dividing up stores and saying goodbye's until around mid morning the group is ready to move.
With about half the group staying behind and no need to continue carrying the still, there's plenty of room inside the BTR-80 for once.
Don, head not hurting anything like the previous day is shepherded into the drivers seat with Virgil beside him as commander. Brown takes his usual position as gunner while the remainder of the passengers (Tanya, Mary, Katka, and Smith) either ride with heads out the roof hatches or relax in the now cavenous interior.

The ride southwards to Krakow is quick. Barely 15 minutes from leaving Ojcow and the BTR-80 is rolling through the outskirts. Information from the partisans keeps you atop the cracked bitumen - the Krakow ORMO had laid extensive mine fields around the city to keep out the less welcome elements of society.
The suburbs look just like one of those old movies about bombed out cities in WWII. Piles of rubble lay everywhere. Now and then small groups of people are seen rummaging through the ruins - a scraggly bunch of rag pickers that besides the colour of their skin could have come from one of those "help the starving" campaigns about Africa from before the war. Bone thin and dirty and little hope for a future beyond dusk...

"Damn!" exclaimed Virgil first at the sight of the ruins and then the people attempting to scratch some sort of existance from them.
"There's a whole empty country out there and they're tryin' to survive here?"
He shook his head in disbelief as first a handful, then dozens of refugees came out of hiding as the BTR-80 rolled past.
"Don't stop whatever you do Don. We could get mobbed."

Tanya wakes up in the morning with a hevy head but, remembering the good time she had the night before, a night that hasn't been that much fun since before the war started.  She gathers up her gear and makes her way over to where Lieutenant Ashton is so she can say goodbye to her.  She had been her close friend since they got out of captivity and shared many days talking and consoling each other.  Tanya gave her a big hug and a kiss on the cheek before they departed.  "We'll see you soon lootenant," Redgrave told her shouldering her AK-74 and making her way to the BTR.

Tanya puts her pack into the now spacious rear compartment of the APC and finds a seat for the ride.  "I like what you've done with the place Brown," Tanya called to the warrant officer as he entered or got near the vehicle.  Tanya double checks her AK to make sure the safety is on and that there's a round still loaded in the chamber.  Satisfied, she secures the rifle next to her and puts one of her feet up on a bench seat since most won't be used.  Tanya looks to the British officer that they met here and asks her, "Beggin' yer pardon ma'am but, you the one runnin' the show here?"

Finnegan had taken the seat nearest where Brown stood manning the turret.  She was content to let Don and him work out their path, along with help from Virgil.  So much of leadership was allowing competent people the room to carry out their given tasks.   That showed trust and respect and, in her case, covered up any deficiencies of technical knowledge.

As always, she found that the female American sergeant was rather direct in her manner.  She turned in her seat to fully face Tanya, and steadied herself against any swaying of the vehicle with one hand on a grab bar.

"That's right, Sergeant," Mary confirmed in a confident, weather deck voice.  "As senior officer I must assume command, even in an ad hoc group such as this."  She kept her eyes on Tanya, making her countenance calm and serene no matter what she felt.

"Sergeant Major Brown let on as you were a good sort," she said, delivering some praise to the older woman.  "How did you wind up separated from your higher command, Sergeant?"

"Good choice of words ma'am.  You have any idea what we're doin' goin' to Krakow Commander?"

The day had started out badly. Willam had planned on moving at first light but it seemed some, or rather, most of his companion has seen to much partying. It had taken them to long before they could leave town.



Brown looked at the sergeant he was standing next to the left hatch giving entrance to BTR. At least she was one of the first to board the vehicle.

”I can’t take credit for all that sergeant. It’s the officers that have made sure there’s enough space for all of us in there” Brown returned in a gruff voice while looking at the next passenger to get on board.

When everyone is inside he takes his spot at the weapon. Making sure to inform Don to keep his hatch closed. This way at least he had some line of sight with the heavy gun.



Sitting next to the lieutenant commander who now gracefully occupied the platoon leaders seat next to his position Brown decided to keep quiet and see how the navy officer could handle herself with this obvious test.

Tanya's lack of an answer and return salvo made Mary blink.  She stared at the sergeant for perhaps ten seconds before answering.  "Beyond the fact that it is a major population center and possible location where scattered NATO elements might regroup and dig in, no," she admitted frankly but with a slight trace of shame showing in her pale skin.

"But I intend to bloody well find out," she added in a quieter voice before leaving her seat, pushing past Brown's legs and squatting down with her head between the driver and vehicle commander's position.

"Leftenant, brief me in on all of our purposes for entering Krakow."

Damn and double damn.  She'd been playing passenger and not leading.  Trust the veterans to spot her out for someone who hadn't even crossed the line so to speak.

Tanya turned her head a little and responded to Mary's answer, "Dig in?  You think we're going to Krakow to regroup and dig in?  That's good," Tanya says sarcastically after Finnegan pushes her way past Brown up to where Don is.  Tanya looks at Brown, "I guess no one got to tell Snow White the plan?"

Katka was suprised that they were leaving so soon. She had missed the discussion to leave the day before and had thought they might stay a few days till at least Don's injuries had healed. But she did'nt complain, just got in the APC and sat quietly, nursing her hangover and drinking lots of water till they got to town.

"Then are we the seven dwarves?" She spoke up suddenly. "Why are we in Krakow?"
This message was last edited by the player at 02:03, Tue 26 June 2007.